


Lukanette Holidays

by magicalladybuglife



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Christmas, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Holidays, Lukanette, Multi, Valentine's Day, coffee shop AU, i'm a sucker for romance i'm sorry, lots of AUs, quickspinner prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28401078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicalladybuglife/pseuds/magicalladybuglife
Summary: Prompt List from Quickspinner (https://quickspinner.tumblr.com/post/636231373956464640/month-of-miracles) for some Lukanette fluffy holiday endulgements. Most of these chapters will be super fluffy cause that's how I roll but I started with the cutesy because popcorn made me think of old school movie slumber parties and I'm living for it. Please know I'm a hardcore Lukanette shipper so that's all you'll find in my channels but I love me some DjWifi, JuleRose, and others. I'm honestly a multishipper, but Lukanette has my heart lol. Anyway! Here's a collection of cute and fluffy pink and blue!Quickspinner is my favorite writer to read and I know they've been busy as of late so I wish them well on all the adventures and family things they need to attend to as I use their prompt list for my own little set of Lukanette drabbles. Hope you enjoy! Also my writing skills are a little rusty, I apologize in advance.Rated Teen and Up for future chapters because I'm all about that tooth-rotting fluff...hehe. I will also add more characters as time goes on, not sure where every prompt will take me.Please know that this fic includes stories from a bunch of random holidays, not just Christmas! :) I've had fun lol
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Ivan Bruel/Mylène Haprèle, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 8
Kudos: 26





	1. Popcorn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Quickspinner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quickspinner/gifts).



Marinette practically skipped all the way over to the Liberty. Juleka had invited all of the girls over for a holiday slumber party; the gang was all going to be there- Rose, Mylène, Alix, Alya and...fashionably late as always, Marinette. She had been working on a few holiday gifts at her sewing machine when her mother had called up to her from the apartment letting her know that Alya was standing in the bakery waiting for her. Mari had made a mad dash to her phone realizing she had accidentally had it on silent and had a few dozen messages and missed calls from her best friend. But Alya didn't seem to mind when she came barreling down the stairs with her duffle bag full of snacks, pjs, and games, all the while apologizing like a broken record. She simply shoved Marinette out the door and pushed her to a quick walk to the Liberty.  
After Marinette tried to explain herself for the fifth time about her untimely habits, Alya just shook her head and gave up.  
"Girl, next time I'm just going to burst up into your room with no warning- don't you ever walk around naked, ya hear?" She both complained and laughed.  
"Okkkkkaayyy I'll just never leave my phone on silent, deal?" Mari giggled back.  
"We both know you can't make those kind of promises." Alya deadpanned, bursting into a chuckle anyway. "But you know who you never seem to break your promises to? Maybe I ought to get him on my side."  
Marinette tripped over her own two feet at the thought and nearly smashed into the frosty pavement below.  
"Yo-u-u-u would talk to Lu-u-ka? I mean, geez, what makes you think he'd actually gang up on me with you?" Marinette half-giggled half cringed to herself.  
"Girl, I didn't name any names; but either way, I'm kidding! But that face!! Girl, you'd make Santa's coat look orange!" Her best friend teased mercilessly while Marinette stuffed her face into her scarf and whined.  
"Alyaaaaaaaa! It's just chilly out here. Whew! Its a good thing we're basically at Lu- I mean Juleka's! Wow, that boat looks great tonight, don't you think."  
Though Alya's quirked eyebrow and knowing grin gave her thoughts away, she amused her best friend and stopped teasing Marinette for the time being. The two late partiers scurried up the gangplank and rushed below deck where they heard excited chatter below.  
"Hey! They finally decided to show up!" Alix burst out, "I was about to go knock on Luka's door and ask him to go pick y'all up."  
Marinette felt the tips of her ears burn hot as everyone laughed. She chuckled, good naturedly, seeing how she put herself in this position with the last slumber party they had all had at Alya's house. To this day, she can't quite remember how they all got her to confess her feelings about the blue-tipped Rockstar to all of them...but what's done is done.  
"Well hopefully I'm not too late for pizza!" Marinette said a little too loudly as she tried to change the subject.  
"Nawh, we ordered it to arrive by 8 just in case you had one of your Marinette standard time days." Juleka giggled.  
As if by magic the clock struck the hour and a few moments later a knock on the deck door above signaled the arrival of the main course.  
"Pizza parties should ALWAYS be slumber parties!" Rose gushed as she reached for her third slice of pizza. How that girl packed food away into that tiny frame was a mystery. Everyone mumbled in agreement as they gobbled up the boxes of pizza that had been thrown onto the kitchen table. The quick dinner shifted into a conversation that led them to their first game. Whoever came up with that goofy meme game was a brilliant person, Marinette thought to herself as she burst into another round of giggles watching Alya fan away the orange soda that sprayed out of her nose with the last meme that was played. The memes and captions were on fire tonight, causing all the girls to feel weak and hold their aching sides. And somehow, the laughter and teasing turned into a full blown pillow fight.  
"I'll have you know that if I was indeed a painter, I would most certainly paint Dinosaurs!" Alix croaked as she chucked her lumpy pillow at Mylène.  
"How bizare..." Mylène piped up launching her paisley covered pillow at Alex.  
"How bizare..." Rose laughed smashing Marinette's pillow against her girlfriend's head.  
"How BiZaRe!" Alya shrieked flopping her pillow to the side to avoid Marinette's thrown. Everyone laughed breathlessly as they chased each other around with pillows.  
The memes and pop culture references kept flying, nearly as fast as the pillows were thrown. For some reason, Alya stood oddly still so Marinette took the chance and superhero-shot Rose's piggy pillow pet straight at her best friend. Only her best friend ducked at the perfect time causing the pig to smack Luka straight in the face as he emerged into the scene carrying an empty glass. Marinette felt the blush explode on her cheeks as she tried to stutter out a weak apology as he walked over to the sink and placed his glass inside. Luka looked her over and smiled, as he launched the pig right at Juleka's smug grin then ran back the way he had come.  
"Hey! Get back here you punk!" She roared as she chased her brother down the tiny corridor towards their room. She emerged a few seconds later with ruffled hair but a mighty grin and a wink at Rose.  
"Oooh, you know what sounds good right about now? A Christmas movie!" Rose pipped up as she started to gather all the pillows into the space near the TV.  
"Oooh, I'll pop some popcorn!" Alix bellowed as she dashed over to the kitchen. Mylène and Alya seemed to exchange knowing looks and gathered up the empty pizza boxes.  
Marinette stood frozen to the ground...if she didn't know her friends better, she would've missed all those little looks and cues, but something about these crazy antics reminded her of the time she had once been head over heels for a certain blonde haired heartthrob. It was now their final year of lychee and since she had essentially helped Kagami and Adrien get together in the end, she was over the model and falling hard for the Rockstar.  
"Guys, what are you..." Marinette began to ask as Luka came back into the room wearing his Pjs and holding his own pillow.  
"Oh, Luka loves this movie." Juleka said matter-of-factly, "It's his favorite animated musical for the holidays so I told him he could join us."  
"Are you all sure I'm not intruding on girl's night?" He asked gently, "Because I can always watch this another ni.."  
"Oh you're totally fine! Think nothing of it!" Alya reassured him. "You can take the couch with Marinette and I. I mean, we'd all pile on the floor but as we learned from last time we were here, there's really only room for four on the floor." Alya winked at Marinette who gulped back the throbbing in her heart. She hadn't had the chance to talk to Luka privately about her feelings yet, and honestly was kind of scared to...she was just a friend to him, she thought. Yet despite that, she couldn't contain the butterflies that fluttered around her heart when he smiled at her or the blush that crept up her neck as she imagined sitting next to him on the couch close enough to cuddle...maybe she could even find the courage to cuddle, I mean if he was ok with it and like...  
"Earth to Marinette!" Alix said as she tapped her nose. "Here's your popcorn bowl, don't spill it this time!"  
Marinette shook herself out of her thoughts and grabbed the bowl. The clumsy baker's daughter slowly made her way over to the couch where Luka sat waiting. Alya zoomed into the other side of the couch leaving her with the middle, right up against Luka. Yep, she knew exactly what her friends were up to. She rolled her eyes and smiled to herself as she took her seat next to the handsome guitarist as the other girls piled onto the the floor surrounded by pillows and blankets.  
The movie began and her nerves quieted as they all watched the Muppets movie that Rose had picked out that depicted the classic Christmas Carol. Now that she wasn't as anxious, she was just trying to find the most comfortable way to sit...since Alya kept pushing her towards Luka every time she leaned to far into Alya's space. As she started to shift again, Luka raised his arm and rested it on the back of the couch, opening up more room for Marinette to sit into the couch. Not only that, but the more she dipped into Luka's side of the couch, the more she realized how comfy he was to sit next to. If anyone would have pointed out that Marinette was basically snuggled into Luka's side at this point, she probably would've flailed off the couch in a split second...but as it was, no one else was focused on the quiet pair on the couch. Marinette smiled to herself as she grabbed another handful of popcorn out of the bowl that ended up on Luka's lap.  
She wasn't going crazy was she? His forefinger had totally brushed against hers in that bowl of popcorn...at least she thought she was sure.  
Regardless, Marinette felt a warm glow rising on her cheeks. She shook her head and tried to pay attention to the pair of frogs singing about Christmas on the TV screen. But curiosity brought her head swinging back up to take a look at Luka from her comfy little spot against the side of his body. He was looking back at her with a soft flame in his eyes that quelled the feelings in her heart until it felt like her feelings were pooling around her body, exposed for everyone to see. Marinette couldn't help herself as she looked away, slowly reaching her hand into the bowl of popcorn again. Her fingers brushed up against his and in a moment she decided she didn't want any more popcorn. She tentatively reached towards him and slowly started to graze her fingers into his palm. His fingers parted until her hand sank perfectly into his. Marinette's soul soared as she sunk even deeper into Luka's side and rested her head against his chest. His hand felt warm and though his fingers were a little calloused, she decided that her hand actually did fit perfectly into his. Mari felt his arm come down around her and felt him leave a featherlight kiss on the top of her head leaving her to gasp silently. She knew her blush was raging but since no one was looking, she was perfectly content to sit snuggled up with Luka on the couch. As the movie credits began to roll, Marinette found herself flinging awkwardly into a sitting position in the middle of the couch before anyone could see the pair of them snuggling. Alya and Alex certainly would never have let her live it down if she was caught. They all fell into peaceful conversations until Luka announced he was heading to bed and wished them all goodnight. As he started to disappear around the corner he turned back and blew a kiss to Marinette theatrically but also kindly. The girls surrounding Marinette squealed with delight and started bombarding her with questions she couldn't focus on. She was simply gazing after the spot that she had last seen her crush.  
Perhaps they'd have to have a conversation about the popcorn bowl a little later.


	2. Evergreen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny enough I was going to make each chapter a one-shot but the comments inspired me so this chapter and the next will be connected (maybe more of them, I'm not sure yet, but for sure chapters 1-3). I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

"Luka you're a big fat dork." Juleka snorted as she swirled her cereal around with her spoon. She took another bite as she watched her brother play his guitar with an obnoxious grin on his face. In another life, Juleka could've sworn he was a monk with the way that he lay on the floor with his feet crisscrossed against the wall like he was trying to meditate on the wall instead of sitting on a chair like a normal person. He had it bad, Juleka thought to herself as she grinned, they both did.

Juleka knew that Marinette was planning on coming back this afternoon after she helped her parents hold down the fort at the bakery while her parents were at an event across town. The slumber party had been a lot of fun last night; especially after Luka had gone to bed and they interrogated Marinette for an hour because they all pretended not to see them snuggling up on the couch. They all had a hard time convincing Marinette to just try and confess her feelings to him; for some reason she was determined that he only saw her as a friend. She had made a good point that Luka was physically affectionate and open to anyone who needed platonic physical comforting like holding hands, snuggling, hugging, holding and even as far as soft reassuring kisses on the top of the head or hands. Juleka had to admit that she was right on that account; her brother was extremely good at being the comforting space in almost everyone's life that he was a part of.

The only problem was, she knew Luka better than Marinette did. Where he was physically platonically affectionate to all of his close friends and family, he was also head over heels for that pretty, raven haired baker's daughter. She didn't know about the stupid smiles he had plastered on his face whenever she was brought up in conversation, or the way he played her song all the time not realizing that Juleka knew it was her song, or in the way he spoke so reverently of her when they talked about past memories. Luka was in love with Marinette and had been since the time they first met, even during that gawd-awful time that Marinette was stalkerishly in love with Adrien. Marinette had come a long way in the last few years and Juleka was excited that she finally shared the same feelings her brother did.

"Jules, I am a happy fat dork." Luka practically sing-songed as he played his guitar gently with his eyes closed gently.

She snorted again as her phone buzzed. Marinette texted her letting her know she was on her way. An idea came to her mind.

- _Awesome. Can u do me a favor? Can u come on the boat as quietly and non-clumsily as possible?_ -

- ** _Well, no promises but I can try! :) Why? What's up?_** -

- _Oh no biggie, I just want u to hear Luka's new song. Don't make a peep when I bring u inside ok?_ -

- _ **Ooh fun! I would love to <3 Ok ok, I'll do my best! See you in 5! **_-

Juleka put her phone away and took her empty snack bowl to the sink where she clanged it loudly on purpose. She watched her brother lay undisturbed, continuing to play his guitar in his weird monk-like sitting arrangement.

"Hey dork, are you going to lay there all day?" She asked him while checking her phone for the time.

"Only until the sun moves, I like how it leaks through the windows right here." He hummed back.

"Isn't that uncomfortable?" "Hm...not yet." He responded plainly.

"Ok, mind if I open the deck door for the breeze to sweep in? I'm feeling a little warm." She hoped he wouldn't see through her white lie. She didn't get warm too often, in fact the opposite was true, however she needed an excuse to open the door for Marinette to slip in. After all, it was Christmas time and super cold! However, Luka didn't seem to notice the strangeness of the statement and if he did, he didn't say it.

"Suit yourself." Luka said without even opening his eyes to look at her.

Yes! She thought to herself, he was totally in the zone and probably wouldn't notice Marinette slip in. Maybe her plan could actually work out. She crossed the short way to the door and opened it gently leaving just enough room for her friend to get in. Just as she looked out over the dock she caught a glimpse of a thick pink and white jacket and cutesy boots. She waved Marinette over and brought her finger to her lips and motioned for her to follow her silently. The brief moments felt like an eternity as Marinette nodded and followed her inside. Juleka was impressed with how quiet she could be, almost like a mouse she thought to herself. She directed Marinette to sit behind the couch to block her from Luka's view. Luka didn't seem to notice the nearly silent escapade and continued to play lazily with his eyes shut. Satisfied, Juleka sat back at the table and pulled out her phone and pretended to scroll through social media.

"Hey Lu, can you play that one song you play all the time? The one that you won't tell me the name of?" Out of the corner of her eye she saw Luka awkwardly shift his head to look at her.

"Why that one?"

"The tune is stuck in my head but it sounds much better when you play it." Juleka fibbed again trying to get him back in the zone. She heard him hum in acknowledgement and shift back to laying in his weird comfortable spot against the wall. He started playing that soft happy tune that always made her think of Marinette. She peeked a glance over to her friend and saw the little baker's daughter holding her mouth closed with her hands and gently bobbing her head to the music.

"Hey Lu?"

"Yeah Jules?" He asked back not opening his eyes as he strummed.

"Why do you like Marinette?" Juleka asked as nonchalantly as possible.

Luka accidentally misstrummed which thankfully masked the tiny squeak that Marinette let out. The girls both held their breath as Luka started to play again with his eyes still closed but now crinkled from the smile that had erupted on his face.

"Why do you think I do, Jules?" He countered, clearly avoiding the subject in a gentle way. She knew he was reserved about sharing his feelings about Marinette. She knew he wouldn't say anything because he wouldn't want her to feel pressured into liking him back since he still thought that Marinette was in love with Adrien and just more mature about it now. Little did he know that was far from the truth.

"Oh please, you look at her the way you look at Christmas lights downtown, Lu. I bet she reminds you of your favorite holiday."

Christmas _was_ his favorite holiday. During a season of gratitude, loving and giving, Luka was at home in his best element. He was the spirit of Christmas embodied in a punky Rockstar glow. Luka was just good at loving and giving, that's just who he was. He thought about others, always way more than himself, and he loved with 100% of his heart. Not to mention, she knew Christmas just meant a lot to him. Luka lay there quietly strumming until he put his guitar aside and rolled over onto his stomach to gaze at his sister. Juleka pretended to be preoccupied by sending a text to Rose to distract herself from smiling; she couldn't give herself away with a smile now, Luka would think she was up to something.

"Marinette is like a Christmas tree, I agree." Luka said softly with a smile. Juleka's heart strings tugged as she kept her best acting face on and gave him a fake disgusted look.

"How on earth is she like a Christmas tree? If anything she's Santa's elf, always busy, always delievering baked goods and presents, and always cheery." Juleka countered as she turned back to her phone to text Rose back. Luka laughed and Juleka could just picture Marinette melting but she didn't look at her to check because she couldn't give away her friend's position from hiding behind the couch.

"You make a valid point but I think she's like a Christmas tree. Evergreens stay green all year long. She is as constant as an evergreen. When things are tough, when things are good, when things are hard, and when things are perfect; she stands tall and strong through it all. And not to mention, Christmas trees are always so beautiful decorated. And Marinette is definitely beautiful." Luka smiled to himself as he rolled back onto his back and put his hands under his head. "Christmas has always been my favorite time of year, but I've loved it even more since she's been part of my life. She's my constant. We should invite her over for Christmas snacks or something."

Juleka snuck a glance over at Marinette who was beet red and glossy-eyed. She smirked to herself.

"You could always ask her, you have her number." Juleka teased.

"Yeah, yeah I guess I could, but wouldn't she rather get an invitation from you? Like a girls day or whatever?" Luka asked as he stared up at the celing.

Juleka took this moment as her cue and got out of her chair and moved over to the couch and pulled Marinette from her hiding place.

"I don't know, ask her yourself." Juleka held in a laugh as she watched her brother roll over like lightning and sit up ungracefully, all the while blusing a hard deep red. Oh man, if she could only take a picture of this moment...

"I, erh, um...sorry, Juleka asked me to come over and said you-u-u-u had a...a...new song that she wanted me to hear you play but I didn't even, I mean...sorry...what I mean is uh..." Marinette twisted her scarf over in her hands so many times, if Juleka didn't know any better it would've ripped apart by now. Luka was simply speechless and looked at Marinette gently with a cocked head. If it wasn't for Marinette, Juleka would probably be running down the hall away from a pillow fight or impromptu wrestling session in honor of his embarrassment.

"Would you, um...like to go on a walk with, um...me?" Marinette ask him quietly. Juleka mentally pumped her fists in the air. She actually took the initiative! 

"Uh, yeah sure, let me grab my coat." Luka said as he hefted himself to his feet quickly to grab his snowboots and leather jacket. As he passed her, Juleka felt him roughly but discreetly nudge her side with his elbow. Worth it, she thought to herself.

As they headed out the door Juleka called after them before closing it, "Have a nice walk you two! Stay warm!" She shut the door quickly to turn away from the embarrassed glare her brother was shooting at her.

"You're welcome" she sang to herself quietly before opening her phone to the "Secret Matchmakers" group chat without Marinette to tell them all the news.


	3. Winer Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last leg of the connected prompts so far! Most of my chapters will most likely be one shots from here on out unless stated otherwise, but I felt inspired to connect these 3 chapters together. Anyway! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

"So, where should we walk to?" Luka prompted while digging a beanie out of his jacket pocket and placing it on his head. His steel blue tips poked out handsomely under the black beanie that made Marinette's insides turn to jelly...he had no business being this handsome in this moment. At first Marinette cursed Juleka for her meddling, but as it turned out she was where she had hoped to end up-being able to convince Luka to take a walk with her. She replaced her faux fur earmuffs that matched her puffy pink jacket and fur-topped brown boots. She wouldn't say so, but she tried to pick her cutest cold-weather outfit for today which happened to take several days of planning and a designated, worn out advice-giving kawmi.   
"Well, I was hoping we could go find André's hot cocoa cart over by the city's Christmas square in front of the Lourve. I mean, you know cause hot chocolate is great for chilly winter days! And, ooh is your jacket new? Wait, nevermind...so yeah...so how's your day been?" Marinette mentally facepalmed herself for giving away her secret plan to find André and his new hot cocoa cart he started for Christmas time last year. She was just going to suggest the Lourve but here she was basically telling Luke she was hoping to turn this into a date. She peeked a glance over at Luka who happened to glance back at her at the same time, which he graced with a smile.  
"I like the sound of that." He said simply as they continued their walk.   
It became painfully silent for Marinette. What was he thinking about? Was he already thinking of a way to let her down gently? Maybe she was making him feel awkwardly. No, Luka wasn't like that...ok, think positively Marinette- maybe he's thinking about something else!   
"My day was really nice actually." Luka started saying, "I mean, I got to watch one of my favorite Christmas movies snuggled up with one of my closest friends last night and then woke up this morning to a normal day but got to see her again in less than 24hrs...I think I'm pretty lucky."  
"Oh yeah? Sounds like a pretty good day then!" Marinette said softly trying to hide the slight disappointment in her voice... _Friend?_

Luka paused which caused Marinette to stop walking and blink up at him. She hadn't realized she had actually said that out loud. He was staring into her eyes which made her cheeks blush up almost instantly and she looked away while tucking a piece of hair behind her ears. Unable to resist the urge she found herself looking back up at him; she could get lost in those eyes of his.  
"Marinette, I meant every word I said back home and I hope you know that." Though Luka spoke gently Marinette could hear the passion behind it. She looked up at him and smiled. She could tell he was telling the truth but she also wasn't 100% sure if his feelings and thoughts were more than just a friend but she wasn't ready to find out just yet. She told herself that whatever happens she would finally have the courage to actually confess her feelings to Luka tonight. But she didn't want to know if he didn't return her feelings quite yet...she was hoping he might, but she wasn't sure. And above all else, she wanted to be brave tonight. Luka deserved to know how much he meant to her.

  
"Well, I don't know, Juleka did make a good point about the elf thing." Marinette giggled turning away to continue walking. Her cutesy boots had no traction and unfortunately they decided to make contact with a patch of ice that sent her cartoonishly crashing to the snowy pavement below. "And a clumsy one at that." Marinette winced with embarrassment more than pain. Upon seeing that she was alright, Luka chuckled warmly and offered a hand to her.  
"Well, I'd have to admit she's right. You better watch out or Santa may come and recruit you for real." Luka said as he helped raise her up. Marinette couldn't take her eyes away from their hands...a certain popcorn bowl memory phased through her thoughts which caused her to quickly take her hand back with a laugh. "You know me, crazy as ever!" She hid the blush that she felt rising to her cheeks as she occupied herself with dusting off the snow that covered her backside.  
They only got another block or so before Marinette almost slipped again which caused Luka to offer his arm to her for better balance. She took it thankfully and could've sworn she saw the ghost of a blush dance across his cheeks.  
Thankfully Luka took the initative and started sharing a story about his latest encounter with Jagged stone. They slipped into comfortable conversation as they ventured towards the city lights. Chloe had been extremely obsessed with her recent discovery of the American Hallmark Channel and had her father set up the public space outside of the Lourve to look like a downtown Christmas scence. Where they had gotten that massive Christmas tree and thousands upon thousands of lights, Marinette was still unsure. But she had to admit, the square was completely decked out in holiday decor and was blissfully magical. This was truly a sight to behold.  
They found André easily nestled between the giant Christmas tree and a troupe of carolers singing by the entrance of the Lourve. The line was a little long at first, but somehow they made it all the way through in what felt like the blink of an eye. Luka made her feel comfortable, safe, appreciated, and acknowledged; she always lost track of time when they had the chance to just sit in each other's company. After purchasing their steaming beverages, they made their way over to the metal picnic tables that the major and displayed all over the square and sipped their hot cocoa in a few moments of silence. Marinette was feeling warmed and confident as she snuck glances at the boy she was crushing on.  
"Hey Lu?" She asked him after a moment.  
"Yeah?" He responded lightly as he took another sip of his peppermint and lavender hot cocoa.  
"Can I tell you something?"  
Luka's eyes widened for a split second as he placed his travel mug to the side and turned his body to face her.  
"Absolutely, Mari. You have my undivided attention."   
Suddenly the nerves came jittering back up her throat and made her wring her hands together uncomfortably. How was she supposed to say everything that was on her mind? What if this was like Adrien all over again? What was she getting herself into? She did truly like him, didn't she? Marinette didn't realize how long she must have been staring at the ground in silence until a slow movement caught her eye. Luka had scooted his chair around the table so that he was directly in front of her and he gently took her hands in his. His smile gave her courage.  
"Luka, I...I l-l-like you." She stammered out awkwardly. His eyes crinkled as his smile widened.  
"Well Ma-Ma-Marinette I hope my feelings for you have never been hidden. I stand by the confession I made a few years back after the whole Silencer fiasco."  
"Wait, all this time? But I thought..." Marinette interrupted and started to splutter. Luka raised a gentle finger to her lips with a wink. After a beat, he reached back and scratched the back of his neck nervously.  
"My feelings for you have never changed. But I knew you were crushing on Adrien for a while and until this moment I thought you still were. I never wanted to get in the way of your path; I mean I've always wanted to be a part of it and I hoped that I could always find a way to be part of your life but I wanted you to make that decision on your own so you knew it was right for you. So you would know if I was right for you. I hope you don't feel obligated to like me back with my mini confession back at home...I mean, I meant every single word and I would be over the moon if you liked me back but I don't want you to just pick me because I like you or because..." It was Marinette's turn to pause Luka's ramblings by gently grabbing the lapels of his leather jacket and pulling him into her space and leaving a featherlight kiss on the side of his cheek, dangerously close to the lips she had definitely not been dreaming about kissing the other night.  
"If it makes you feel better, I must confess I've been crushing on you for the past several months. You said I was your constant, and well...you are mine. You've always been someone I can rely on when things get absolutely tough and you lift me up in more ways than one. I feel safe with you. I feel important with you. I feel uplifted with you. Not to mention, you're extremely good looking so you have that going for you." Marinette slapped her hand over her mouth after that last part...even though she literally thought that to herself every time she saw him, she hadn't planned on spilling out every single detail of why she had fallen for him in this confession.  
"Is that right?" Luka asked with a smirk as he sat back in his chair a little bit grinning like a school boy.   
"So yeah, I'm not just picking you as a second choice or because you liked me first or anything like that. I started liking you for my own reasons and I'd like to see where this goes. I'm actually interested in you as a person and I-I-I would like to get to know you on a more personal level if that's ok. I meant what I said, I like you Luka."  
Luka surprised her as he jumped out of his seat and pumped his fists in the air like he had just won a trophy or something. Marinette started giggling as he grabbed her hands and pulled her up to stand next to him. The next thing she knew, Marinette was picked up and being twirled around and the pair of them laughed together in a brief euphoria. Luka set her back down on the ground but didn't release her waist from the loose grasp in his arms.  
"Marinette would you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?" He asked with his forehead resting against hers ever so slightly. His eyes were closed so she smiled and closed her eyes in turn.  
"I'd be delighted." She responded breathlessly.   
"God curse my eagerness but I've been wishing for this for a while...uh, Marinette, would you be comfortable with me kissing you?" Her eyelids fluttered open so see his head pulled back to give her space but still close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath against her cheeks. The way he had phrased that question gave her butterflies. He was always so kind and considerate even in his wanting. Marinette smiled gently as her eyes looked between his gorgeous sea colored eyes and his soft lips. She raised her hands up to gently grasp the lapels of his jacket once again and looked him in the eye.  
"Thank you for asking. I wouldn't mind it..." She replied in a hushed statement.  
The air seemed to freeze around them and time felt like it was stepping up on it's tiptoes to get a better look at the pair of awkward lovers that stood face to face. Marinette gently pulled at his lapels offering him the chance to move forward. She heard his breath hitch as his head leaned in. The scent of candied lavender and dark chocolate reached her first, but then came the softest pair of warm lips against her own. Their lips parted ways for a second; the ghost of the most featherlight first kiss in the history of love left glittering in its wake. His lips captured hers again, this time with a little more hunger than before. She felt his hands came up to her face and settle at the base of her jawline while his thumbs brushed her cheeks absentmindedly. A roar of emotion came up from the depths of her soul that left her feeling wanting and incredibly breathless. She had no idea what to do with her hands so she kept them on his chest as their lips danced together; the gentle push and pull falling into rhythm of the pounding of her heart. When they finally broke apart, both of them panted shallowly to catch their breath.   
The bells of Notre Dame started, alerting the new couple of the hour, startling them from their trance. They pulled apart with nervous giggles and walked back to the table to grab their hot cocoa mugs. They made their way to the closest recycle bin and threw away the empty travel mugs.  
"It's a shame André is closed up for the night." Marinette said as she looked over to the base of the beautifully decorated tree. "I really enjoyed that cocoa, it was the perfect amount of sweetness, don't you agree?" She asked turning her face to Luka to see him grinning sloppily.  
"I think you're the only sweetness I need in my life if the sugar is that potent." He replied dreamily.   
The baker's daughter laughed, "Did I just unlock a new version of Luka Coffuanie? Should I expect more cheesy pick up lies and phrases?" She asked him while stifling a laugh behind her hand.  
"Mmm, I'm not sure. All I can think about is kissing you." Luka said honestly pulling her close to him again. She giggled against his lips as he leaned in for another kiss, but she couldn't help it. She was just too darn happy.  
"Tell you what, you walk me home and we can arrange something."   
"You got yourself a deal, sugarplum." Luka winked.   
"Oh so I'm a fairy princess now?" Marinette laughed again as his hand gently took hers.  
"Nawh, you're a queen." He mumbled reverently stealing another kiss before they started the journey back to the best bakery in Paris. They fell into perfect step on the way home, talking and laughing all the way; the euphoria of their first winter kisses practically lifting them through the air like superheroes in the night.


	4. In the Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updating! This prompt kicked my butt for days...inspiration finally struck tho! Welcome to my University AU one shot :) I hope you enjoy! (also I'll go back and revise this more tomorrow, I need sleep lol.)

Marinette adjusted the candles on the banister for the umpteenth time, busying herself to avoid the real issue at hand.

“Happy New Year’s Eve!” Ross Squeaked as she dumped a large assortment of messy craft supplies on the table. Marinette swiveled around, lightning fast to watch in horror as a tube of craft glitter tumbled off the table and emptied its entire contents onto the floor below. She took a massive deep breath and clenched her fists to keep her from yelling at her roommate.

“Rose, I thought we agreed to no glitter in the dorm room after the Halloween incident.” Marinette said through a fake smile. This was her first semester at university and her adored her kind, fun-loving roommate but she had to admit…she could live without the sparkles.

“Ooh, but it’s for the party….I know, I know, I’m sorry that was literally my only tube and I was trying to be careful. Life is just better with more glitter!” The blonde chirped happily.

“Well I’ll go next door and borrow Mylené’s handheld vacuum she has for Drumsticks.” Marinette said, taking the opportunity to get out of the dorm for a breather before she snapped. Plus, Marinette loved the cute tabby cat Mylené had rescued from that old cardboard box outside of town. There was a no pet policy, but thank goodness for handheld vacuums and scent absorbing kitty litter. There was just an elevator and a short walk between her dorm and the shy actor’s daughter girl she had come to befriend this semester. Normally she would’ve taken the elevator of course, but she opted for the stairs to give her some more time to get away from the glitter.

The moment she opened the stair well door, gentle guitar music floated through the air and danced in her eardrums. Marinette carefully closed the door behind her as not to alert the musician in the stair well. This isn’t the first time has stumbled across this magic, but she had never had the opportunity to look for where it was coming from. She could completely understand why the guitarist was playing here though, the acoustics were amazing!

She tip-toed down the staircase feeling a little stalkerish but her curiosity was definitely getting the better of her. Only 3 cases down she spotted a black beanie with teal blue tipped hair sticking out from beneath it. As she continued her gentle stepping she spotted the guitar and knew for sure that she had finally found the source! He sat a few steps down from the stair well landing and seemed completely engrossed in his riff. It had only been a month since the first time she had heard the beautiful strumming, and now she was finally nearby the musician himself. It was both exhilarating and scary…after all she had essentially creeped up on him but not alerting him to her presence.

Suddenly it seemed as though the universe was trying to do her a favor and the air surrounding her feet became a solid block. Marinette tripped over her own two feet launching her perfectly in a splat at the top of the stair landing.

The poor musician whipped around completely startled for a moment then rushed up the stairs to her.

“Oh my gosh, are you ok?” His blue eyes bore into hers as she tried to raise herself up awkwardly.

“Oh yes, you’re good…I mean, I’m good! This h-h-happens all the time to me, I swear I have three left feet…I mean two! Two left feet! Anyway, I’m sorry for startling you.” Her face flushed hot as she got up onto her knees while rambling to this completely handsome stranger.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t break your fall.” The musician smiled at her and extended his hand as an offering for help. She took it gently and allowed him to help raise her to her feet. “I normally stop playing when I hear people come into the stair well so that I don’t send anyone into a trance.”

“I’m glad you didn’t I’ve been hoping to meet you!” Marinette pipped up. “I mean, I’ve heard you play a couple times but I could never seem to find the source, you know? Oh goodness, I’m not like stalking you or anything! I was just curious and…” She started to ramble in a panic. This only caused her face to burn hot again because the gorgeous guitarist was starting to chuckle softly; a sound that was equally as enchanting as the music she had been listening to a moment ago.

“Well, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Luka. I’m a business major, music and theater minor.” He said tipping his head in a mock bow. Luka, even his name was dreamy.

“I’m Ma-ma-marinette!” She squeaked back hurriedly, realizing that she was staring at him and still holding his hand from when he helped her up. She snapped it back behind her giggling awkwardly. “I’m a fashion design major.”

“It’s nice to meet you Marinette.” He smiled gently. Marinette realized how doomed she was. She finally met the handsome stranger she had fantasied in dreams…but he was way better looking in person and definitely more swoon worthy. Having a hopeless romantic for a roommate was starting to rub off on her. They started to part ways as Marinette retreated to the stairwell door to Mylené’s floor but she hesitated, looking back for a second.

“You’re not happening to play at the New Year’s Eve party in Carnagee Hall later tonight, are you? I heard there was going to be a couple local and student performances throughout the night.” She immediately kicked herself for asking as the words came spilling out of her mouth. She snuck a glance back anyway and caught Luka’s eyes. He smirked which somehow gave her butterflies and jelly legs at the exact same time. What had Rose done to her?

“I am actually. I’m playing in the beginning so I was just going to stay to play then go back to my dorm…but I’d be down to stay longer if you’ll be there.” Luka responded kindly.

“I have a rainbow unicorn for a roommate, I’m basically her chaperone at every campus event.” Marinette joked trying to keep the conversation off the steamy side because she was not prepared to deal with anything of the sort.

“Well then I’ll look for you when I’m off stage. See you tonight, Ma-ma-Marinette!” He gave her a gentle wave as he started descending the stairs. She nearly booked it to Mylené’s room who gave her the vacuum without question.

“I’ll be with Ivan tonight so you don’t need to worry about returning it till after break is over.” The sweet gal said as she locked her dorm room up. “Since Alya is out of town for the holidays and he lives off campus I thought it would be nice for a change of scenery.” She explained as they walked together towards the elevators. Marinette noticed the blush that crept up her neck and danced across her cheeks but she just smiled and ignored it. The odd punk rock loving pair were a match made in heaven; they’d be together since before uni and had been through a lot together. With all of them in their second year, Marinette wasn’t going to be particularly surprised if Mylené and Ivan got engaged before they graduated.

“Well, I’ll let you know when I’m ready to bring it over after break or meet up with Alya when she gets back. Better yet, maybe I’ll just buy it from you. It would probably do me a favor in the long run.” Marinette joked.

“Probably!” Mylené joined in the giggles. As they parted ways at the elevators, one going up and one going down, Marinette got into the shaft alone and with too much time to think about the handsome young man she had met in the stairwells. He seemed so nice and he was incredibly hot…she was suddenly worried about the party. Most of the time she went to these parties and events solely to keep track of Rose who enjoyed partying but couldn’t hold her liquor to say the least. She hardly thought twice about what she wore or who saw her, but that was all but opposite for tonight. When the final ding rang out at the 8th floor, Marinette rushed back to her dorm room.

“Rose, I need help picking out an outfit for the party!” Marinette found herself blurting out as soon as she entered the door. The blonde practically jumped on the balls of her feet as she squealed with delight.

“Now that’s the New Year’s spirit! New adventures! New things to try! New you!” Rose basically sang as she threw open Marinette’s closet and started ruffling through every piece of clothing she owned. The pair went back and forth for nearly an hour until they found the perfect outfit. Rose insisted that she wear the deep red top that Marinette had actually designed and made herself in addition to dark washed pair of skinny jeans and studded black boots. The boots had actually been her idea…because the cutesy punk-rock vibes these boots gave off made her think of _him._

Rose called her friend Chloe over to do Marinette’s makeup. How the snobby mayor’s daughter and the innocent ball of absolute fluff and goodness ended up as close friends was still a mystery. Apparently, Chloe owed her a favor and Rose was cashing in on it finally.

“You do realize it took you three years to use that favor card.” Chloe huffed as she busied herself getting Marinette seated in front of her.

“I had to! Marinette met a cute boy today and she’s going to meet up with him at the party!” Rose gushed leaving Marinette feeling shy.

“Well with a pretty blush like that I’m not surprised.” Chloe said as she quirked an eyebrow. “Honestly as much as I hate to say it, you’ve got major natural beauty, queen. Respect.” She riffled through her make up bag and ended up pulling out a few eye make-up pallets and a few brushes. “I normally hate super boring natural looks but since like you’ve met this such hot dude, I guess I’ll leave it looking as naturally as possible. I’d hate to cover up that blush.” The mayor’s daughter was definitely opinionated and spoke her mind almost to a fault, but Marinette was starting to see why Rose talked nicely of her friend.

When she was finally released from Chloe’s picture-perfect manicured claws, Marinette did a quick twirl in front of the mirror. She looked good. It had been a while since she had dressed herself up for something; anything really. Wasn’t that ironic…a fashion design major barely taking the opportunity to dress up? As Chloe would say, “Paaaa-Leeease! That is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!”

“Alright you whores, I’m off to get ready myself. Don’t bother me and don’t ruin your make up!” The proud, confident designer blonde turned on her heel and was out as fast as she had entered. Rose squeaked a contented parting and turned to Marinette all the while gushing about her outfit.

“Girl, I hope this boy is a good one. I don’t have time for douche bags messing with my roomie!” Rose’s intense sentiment sent Marinette into another round of chuckles.

“Glad to know you have my back, Rose. Now let’s get you ready for the evening!”

_ _ _ _ _

A few hours later, the pair of friends found themselves outside the concert hall that was generously being used as the party venue for the night. Marinette and Rose made their way through the crowd to find their small group of friends from Uni as well as get refreshments at the snack bar before the good stuff was all taken. Music was being played constantly, but Marinette knew it wasn’t sourced from Luka just yet. The DJ for the night was Alya’s current crush, Nino, as many of the previous campus events had been. And dang, he was so good at it! Even over the dull roar of the crowd, Nino was excellent at keeping the vibes energized and his voice clear throughout the evening. Suddenly his voice perked her ears up as she heard him announce a familiar name.

“Alright folks, your DJ Nino is gonna take himself another short break as we have some live entertainment from our local student bands and musicians! Up first, please welcome to the stage, Luka Couffaine year 3 business major! After that we’ll have…”

Nino’s voice was drowned out in her ears as she watched that blue-dyed guitarist make his way onto the stage with his guitar. He waved politely to the crowd as he set up stool and tuned his guitar, waiting for Nino to finish. Luka tapped the microphone for a mic test and started to speak making Marinette’s smile even wider. When did she even start smiling??

“This song I’m playing goes out to the cute raven-haired busybody that I’ve seen over the last year who caught my eye.” Marinette’s heart crumbled for a moment as she sipped her water bottle trying to avoid outwardly showing her disappointment. “She’s got a big heart, an even bigger to do list, but the biggest aura of kindness I’ve ever seen. Not to mention, she’s gorgeous. I finally learned her name today. This one’s for you Ma-ma-Marinette.” And without a word he dipped his head and dove into his music. Marinette’s friends all squealed with delight and the crowd roared with energy. It was a miracle she hadn’t fainted by pure shock. He had noticed her? For almost a year? And had finally met him after just looking for the guitarist in the stairwell for a month? How blind is she really though?

She couldn’t keep her eyes off of Luka. He smiled to himself as he played but never looked up to scan the crowd. When he finished playing the entire concert hall erupted into claps and cheers. Suddenly everyone started chanting her name making her freeze on the spot until all her girlfriends surrounded her and pointed her out to the boy sitting on the stage.

“Thank you everyone! Have a great evening!” Luka smiled, exiting the stage and starting to walk towards his target. When he finally reached her Marinette could only giggle awkwardly and tuck her hair behind her ears as her girlfriends giggled and joked in hushed voices behind her.

“Sorry to put you on the spot, mind if we take a walk?” Luka gestured through the open doors to the gardens outside the concert hall that were all lit up for the party and not as busy.

“I would like that.” Marinette agreed as they began to walk that direction. “So…you’ve known about me for a year?” Unable to think of anything else but that fact alone.

“Oh yeah, again…sorry to put you on the spot, I hope you aren’t put off by that! I was worried I wouldn’t be ablet to find you at the party with all those students and then I wasn’t sure if you had left early since it’s already almost 11:30. Nino switched it around so he could have more breaks before midnight so he could text his girlfriend; I guess she’s at home for the holidays. Anyway, I promise I was not the stalker either.” Luka joked nervously while scratching the back of his neck. “It’s actually my sister’s fault. I knew of you, but I never had the pleasure of getting to know you.”

“I’m both flattered and intrigued.” Marinette giggled. “Though I’ve never been shouted out from a stage before, I really can’t complain. But don’t worry about that! So, who’s your sister?”

“Juleka Couffaine. She’s in your graduating year actually and she pursues…”  
“Modeling in her spare time! I know her!” Marinette interrupted. “Oops, forgive me I got excited. I’ve seen her often but she’s never officially joined our friend group, I’ve noticed she’s a little shy.”

“Funny story about that, actually,” Luka laughed, “Is she’s one of the most confident people I know. She’s crushing on your roommate, Rose, and has yet to get the guts to ask her out. So, when she’s feeling particularly helpless, she’s recruited me to join her on coffee dates and meet ups. So, I first saw you after the Christmas party last year trying to convince a very drunk Rose to follow you home. Since then, I’ve seen you here and there while helping Jules or just around campus. Your smile is contagious. And you’re really good at helping people.”

Marinette looked over at him as they started walking through the gardens. The horticulture majors really outdid themselves this year with their plant diving; they had experimented with a lot of flowers this year. It almost felt magical to walk through the outdoor trees and flowers next to the greenhouse that encased even more. What was more magical, was walking through these gardens with a very kindhearted man. He glanced over and caught her staring so he smiled warmly at her and winked. Marinette came back down to earth really fast as her breath hitched and her heart tightened.

“You know, Rose would be absolutely thrilled if Juleka asked her out. I’ve heard enough drunk pinning to last me a lifetime.” Marinette laughed changing the subject ever so slightly.

“Sounds like quite the adventure, I’ll have to relay the news to Jules.” Luka chuckled.

They fell into easy conversation and laughter as they talked and slowly got to know each other. With almost two more faceplant-worthy trips, Luka and Marinette were now holding hands. But just to keep Mari steady, of course…

Their strolling and light conversation led them back to the outdoor pillars outside the concert hall right around 11:58. Most of the hall had divided into couples and a mosh pit of people screaming and yelling the last song leading up to the new year’s countdown.

“You know, I don’t know if I’m just caught up in the spirit of the season, but I’d be interested to know if you’d be willing to participate in the new year’s tradition of a kiss.” Luka boldly asked. “And please know I’m not really one to make such impulsive decisions or ask anyone to kiss me…I would be particularly interested in asking you out sometime if you’d prefer a date before a smooch.”

Marinette felt her face flush hot but considered her options; kiss a super handsome guy on new years that could potentially lead into a relationship or wait until they establish some sort of relationship…. hmmm. She liked the idea of no strings attached, especially since they were just barely getting to know each other. And she particularly like the idea of kissing him.

“Normally, I’m also not one to kiss somewhat strangers but I’d be interested in making the exception today.” Marinette flirted in response.

The night erupted into a boisterous countdown- 10! 9! 8!

“No pressure at all! You are willing to back out.” Luka smiled warmly, stepping back and raising his hands in surrender to let her know that she had an out and had respected space. Rose would flip out at his gentlemanly kindness.

7! 6! 5! 4!

“I would like to.” Marinette reassured him, placing her hands on his forearms, pulling him back closer to her. He chuckled breathlessly as he leaned inwards. Their lips inches from each other.

3! 2! 1!

Their lips met as the fireworks began to split the night sky.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! A chorus of students yelled. But the pair didn’t even noticed as the dance of their lips continued.


	5. Decoration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've decided that I'm going to branch out into other holidays rather than just sticking with the Christmas inspired prompt list and that's where this one-shot (maybe two shot? idk I love this coffee shop AU someone save me) ; that's where this story get's it's inspiration- the holiday of Valentine's Day! :) I hope you enjoy!

Marinette huffed out a focused breath as she rethreaded her needle for the fiftieth time that morning. What had possessed her to offer to decorate Luka’s coffee shop for the Valentine’s season, was clearly her awkwardness come full circle. She rolled her eyes as she remembered the first time they had met.

She had literally stumbled into Luka…when he was working, no less. He was setting up a display of house tumblers near the front window. She waltzed in and when he said good morning to her, her brain short-circuited, she tripped over herself and ran right into the display table. She had simply planned to try out the coffee special of the week that her landlady had raved to her about but as it turns out she was spitting out apologies while getting lost inside the most crystal blue eyes she had ever seen. Luka had assured her that there was no harm done and hadn’t spoken of the incident since, but Marinette could hardly forget it. Despite the original embarrassment she had felt, the coffee was indeed an amazing treat that kept her coming back. The quaint little coffee shop of the edge of town was the perfect place to read her novels, work on her various little projects, get her emails and connections taken care of, all while sipping her caffeine and soothing her soul.

The baker’s daughter had moved to the quieter tiny town, taking a gap year in the middle of her master’s in fashion design school. Everyone had given her crap for her decision, but her soul was craving peace. Deadlines, projects, runways, shows…it was all exhilarating and she honestly loved it all…but the past year of the environment at Audrey’s was too much on the kind and service-oriented part of her. She had completed her bachelor’s degree and managed to land an internship at Audrey’s Villa with her classmate and friendship connections to Adrien Agreste, but in order to get a paid position she was required to either have or be in the middle of her master’s program. At first, it was the perfectly reasonable and both the paid internship and the full experience of starting her master’s was fulfilling and amazing. Marinette thrived in a busy environment, even though she could relax and lounge like a sloth when she needed to. She had worked on runways she had only dreamed about! Her lifelong dream of making it big in the fashion industry seemed more real with every step she had taken. And yet, as time went plodding along Audrey’s volatile temper and arrogance was getting old. Her “boss” berated her for being giving, compassionate and understanding when it came to deadlines, timelines and hemlines. She had quickly become Audrey’s righthand maid, for lack of a better term. Her fashion design role quickly became a personal assistant though that was not part of the internship initial contract. Her soul was in shackles after only a few months of working there. Apparently, her ‘vision’ and ‘drive’ was exactly what Audrey liked about her. But as they worked together, the more she felt cheated out of the opportunity she thought she had landed. Unable to tear away from the opportunity at first, Marinette had stayed put and dealt with all the stress and tears. She felt like if she could just endure the internship then it would all be worth it in the end. Marinette worked harder than ever even with her boss breathing fire down her neck at the slightest inconvenience. When anyone else on the team made a mistake, Marinette had often taken the brunt of the heat for the offender so that Audrey didn’t make anyone else cry the way she herself had cried at first.

Battle harden was a good word descried how she had become over the last year. She loved what she did in the fashion world, but Audrey was starting to numb down her emotions and heart. Deep down, Marinette knew the nature of the business was competitive and cutthroat, but she had thought her core values would’ve been more present in her business of interest too. When a girl named Lila started interning on her same team, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. That girl was a web of lies all tied to the ugliest spider she had ever dealt with life. It was her entrance into the internship program that made Marinette question what it really was about fashion design that she wanted to do. She loved the designing, the seeing those designs on her clients and models…but she also was learning that she despised some of the people who also enjoyed this felid of work. Was this truly going to make her happy in life?

Marinette took the opportunity so allow the new, rude girl the time in the spotlight that she so earnestly wanted by convincing Audrey to allow Lila to have her position while she took a gap year from school to travel and “find inspiration”. Somehow (ok, it was mostly just Lila’s serpent tongue of lies) that convinced Audrey that it was a great idea to let Marinette take the year off. So, without another thought, Marinette broke free and escaped the clutches of the pair that filled her life with so much darkness and dread. Was she quitting for good? Who knew? She wasn’t really set on burning that bridge for good, but she also wasn’t 100% sure where she wanted to go from here. The soul searcher couldn’t afford to go far, so she simply skipped over to a town close enough to get home in a day but far enough that it wasn’t a temptation just to give up and go home to work in the bakery again.

“What are you thinking about?” Luka asked, startling her out of her thoughts. Marinette looked up to find him paused mid-sweep with a concerned look on his face. “If the decorations are going to be too much for you, by all means…”

“Oh no, Luka, it’s not these! I was thinking about something that happened back home. I’m so sorry, did I look…uh, angry?” Marinette interrupted boldly yet questioned shyly. She knew exactly what face she had been making. Alya had snapped a picture of her “stormy” face as she called it; when her eyebrows knit down and her face sunk in as she bit her lip. She always got that face on when she thought about all the different experiences she had put up with in her last year.

“It was a bit cloudy for sure. About that internship you were in?” He set the broom down against the counter and sat in a bar stool adjacent to her and swiveled around to meet her gaze with his undivided attention.

“Yep! As keen as ever.” She giggled apologetically. “Sorry to rain in your café.”

“Hey, don’t forget the message on the board this week!” He tapped his nose and pointed at the chalkboard behind the counter with a smile. “I’ll leave you to your thoughts and know that I’m here if you ever want to talk about anything.” He got up and grabbed the broom to continue sweeping the floor.

Marinette smiled to herself as she watched him for a moment before she got back to her stitching. She had made up a bunch of lace and satin hearts that she was now stitching together to make a garland to hang across the back wall of the shop; to outline the double chalkboards that were mounted there. The largest of the two boards held the entire drink menu and prices while the smaller board right behind the cashier’s stand was his weekly inspiration board. She knew exactly what message was on the board this week- “Your emotions are valid. This is a safe space.”

Luka ran this little coffee shop by himself. It was really a little hole in the wall place, but it was the perfect little corner for what he had created. The atmosphere definitely had a rock and roll vibe, but it was also “your mom’s dining room” kind of cute. The front of the shop was lined with three dark leather booths and one corner booth that wrapped around to the empty space that used to house the Christmas tree. Luka kept saying he couldn’t figure out what to put there, but Marinette knew he secretly wished for a jukebox as one of the nosy grandma regulars had got him to spill the beans of that wish. There were two black wooden tables and skinny chairs on the floor and 4 black metal bar stools lined against the coffee counter off to the side of the display cases. The counter itself was split in two, one side stretching 3 quarters of the wall, and the other made a perfect little alcove for the cashier’s stand. The display cases unusually held little trinkets of rock and roll figurines, show tickets, album artwork and the like. When Marinette had asked him about it, he had admitted to her that he hadn’t been able to create any baked goods he was happy selling with his prized coffees and teas so he filled his display cases with something for show. The walls had minimal art since most of the art that could go on the walls were in the glass display cases. Along the back wall was all the coffee shop necessities with a single restaurant style door leading to the back kitchen and prep room. Marinette dreamed about what the space might look like, curious about baking some of dad’s cinnamon rolls in there to contribute to Luka’s menu and feel even more at home than she already did.

The truth was, even though she had only been in this town for a few months total, she felt like home here. Last September she had moved into the quaint little town with only a couple hundred people roaming the street like a bizarre princess movie. She had picked up work at the local seamstress’s shop and fell in love with the atmosphere of a small town where everyone knew everybody. At first, the people were a little wary of her presence as this wasn’t a tourist town or a place where very many people came to or from. But with the help of a very chatty landlady and a few visits to Luka’s coffee shop, she was welcomed with open arms. She had easily made friends with other women and men her age from the local talent nights and the winter festival she had been fortunate enough to be part of this last Christmas season. Her favorite group of friends was probably Mylené, Rose and Juleka now that she was hours away from her best friend, Alya. Her other favorite friend…was the handsome barista and shop owner himself. Marinette snuck a glance at him and smiled again. She cursed herself time and time again, but she had fallen hard for the blue-tipped shaggy haired man she had befriended. Juleka had often teased her that he was single and ready to mingle but for the last several weeks she had been too shy to say anything past a harmless flirt. But that was all going to change, hopefully. She was both excited and extremely stressed out about this upcoming Valentine’s Day weekend.

Several weeks ago, Marinette had been browsing odd shops and online stores advertising jukeboxes and could tell why Luka was waiting to fill that corner spot. She had been wishing to find a way to repay his kindness and generosity to her. And let’s be honest, she wanted to spoil that man for once. Someone could give him a snail shell and he’d put it on a pedestal and put it on display for the world to see. Luka was always a listening ear and confidant. The town was small, but somehow his shop was always bustling with life, yet Luka always made time for her. Maybe it was just the love on her brain talking, but Mari believed he deserved the world…and at the very least a retro jukebox. She had made pretty good money working with Audrey, but she had always been a frugal gal, relying on only half of her paychecks for the month to keep her afloat as she made sure her savings could truly bail her out on a ‘rainy day’. But even with her paychecks and frugal living, there was just so much she was willing to spend on a man that she didn’t even know if he liked her back. But as it stood, the jukebox idea was just too fabulous to fill up that spot with anything else. During her browsing and searching, she had called up her Nona for help looking for a perfect jukebox. As it turned out, her Nona was always in the market for acquiring strange finds from yard sales and trades. After hearing her odd request, she had to laugh as her Nona had brought up that she had managed to get her hands on a beautifully kept and functioning jukebox from a friend of hers not even a month ago. When Marinette had asked to purchase it from her, Nona was surprised to say the least. Marinette had made the mistake of telling her why she had wanted to buy the jukebox off of her. So not only did Nona suddenly want to dote on her granddaughter for finally showing interest in her weird passions, but she was also intrigued by the adorable story of a “unfurling love story”.

“Consider it an investment for securing future great-grandbabies, my little fairy!” She had joked with a hearty laugh, “I’m putting it on a truck and having it delivered this Saturday. Don’t forget to be at the coffee shop when it arrives!” she instructed before she hung up. Marinette had blushed for hours after that call and avoided swinging by the café for a few days because of it. Afterall, not only was she crushing hard on the young man but she was now was stuck with the seemingly impossible task of making an excuse to have him come to work on his designated day off so she could be at the shop when the jukebox was due to be delivered.

In a small town, Luka could set his own hours and still have incredible business. He had the shop open daily for the morning and then was closed completely on Saturdays. So, after stumbling over random excuses and ideas for weeks, she finally managed to come up with a game plan. Just two days ago she overheard Luka talking to his sister, Juleka, about needing to come up with some ideas for Valentine’s day decorations which caused her to awkwardly pipe up that she’d be willing to help on Saturday when she was “most free”. Luka was probably non the wiser, but Juleka knew that was completely bogus as she was latterly almost always free. She wiggled her eyebrows over at Marinette from behind her brother’s back which made the baker’s daughter blush up furiously when Luka graciously accepted her offer. Juleka said she was going to be busy with Rose in the morning but could swing by later if they needed help; she was picking up on the clues and gave Marinette the clear signal that she would keep her secret for a little while longer.

“Perfect! Then I’ll kiss yo—SEE! See you there! *Then*, I’ll see you then! On Saturday! Yep, that’s the one!” Marinette had used finger guns as she backed out of the coffee shop that day and mentally face palmed as she headed home, unknowingly missing the smile and blush that had erupted over Luka’s face when she had accidentally said “kiss”.

Fast forward to the present. Today was the day. The Saturday before Valentine’s day. Using the excuse of working in the shop to make sure she had the correct number of hearts to line the back was as her scapegoat for her true intention of confessing her feelings and being there for the delivery of his secret jukebox. Nona had sent her the tracking number for her shipment which was due to come any moment now. Her hands were sweaty and she struggled to stay focused and stop from breaking her secret completely out of nervousness or from thinking too much. Luka had been keeping himself busy with sweeping which thankfully gave Marinette’s heart a break so she didn’t have to face him the entire time. He had said that he could use an extra day to make sure everything was clean and orderly for once; since Marinette was adamant that she didn’t need any help with the simple decorations.

As she stitched the final heart together, making the perfect pattern, she heard a large truck shriek to a halt outside the coffee shop. Her insides roared with anticipation and she watched Luka’s face closely from behind her hands covering her mouth in a weak attempt to stop herself from speaking or laughing. This was it!

“Hmm, I don’t remember ordering a shipment that would be due today.” She heard Luka mumble to himself as he pulled out his phone. Marinette watched as he scrolled through different places on his phone while the delivery person had opened the back of the truck and was starting to remove the perfectly large box. It was wheeled to the front door as Luka finally gave up and put his phone away, rushing to the front of the store to open it.

“Hi there, I’ve got a delivery for Mr. Luka Couffaine?” The delivery person said looking up from their clipboard.

“That’s me! Although I can’t for the life of me remember what I ordered.” Luka confessed visibly confused at the size of the box.

“Oh, it says here it’s a gift from a…well, a little fairy? I’m not sure man, I’m just here to deliver your jukebox.” They concluded while shrugging their shoulders.

“My jukebox.” Luka repeated breathlessly making Marinette’s emotions spill over into a giggle. His head snapped around to look at her with a confused look on his face. In a moment of clarity, Luka’s eyes widened and his face lit up like the sun. “Marinette you didn’t…. you what? No, you couldn’t have…” His excited chatter and shit-eating grin was too much for her making her giggle even more.

“Uh, excuse me. Could you sign this for me please? And where do you want this thing?” The delivery person interrupted holding out their clipboard. Luka signed it hastily and directed them to the corner of the room that was the perfect spot before turning back to Marinette. Unsure what to do with her hands and arms all of a sudden, she leaned back on the counter behind her while tucking her toes awkwardly under the bar stool she was perched on. Luka swept across the floor in a few short strides getting dangerously close to her as he leaned his hands on the counter on either side of her. Marinette’s breath hitched for a moment but the giggles came back as Luka bit his lip in shock trying to keep his mouth from hanging open like a lunatic.

“How much did this cost you?” Luka demanded politely, backing up enough to give her a little more space.

“Only shipping, honestly! My Nona like to barter and trade with odd shops and yard sales and thrift stores; I had called her to ask for help in looking for one but she already owned one that was just taking up space in her storage unit I guess.” Marinette explained while tugging nervously at her side French braid. “And I…w…well that is I…I wanted to…”

“Oy, sorry to kill the moment but I unboxed your juke, I’m gonna leave it right here and yous guys can take care of the rest, ay? I’ve gotta make another round.” The delivery person seemed 100% done with the situation they were tasked to. Marinette leaped off the stool with a blush on her cheeks and rummaged in her purse and pulled out some bills.

“Yes, thank you we can take it from here. Thank you so much for delivering this.” She said hastily handing them the tip and moving over to admire the jukebox.

“Good day ma’am, and good day sir.” The delivery person left kindly, the bell above the door signaling his exit.

Marinette’s heart raced as she pretended to be super intrigued with the jukebox. She gently traced the outward lighting fixture with a smile. He had moved yet. She was sure she would’ve heard his feet move by now. She snuck a glance over her shoulder and saw him standing silently with glistening eyes, his hand balled into a fist near his mouth obscuring his full face from view.

“Luka? Are you alright?” Marinette’s shyness disappeared when she saw a tear spill over the side of his eyes. She raced over to him and took his fist away from his face seeing his glowing smile.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to startle you. I just...I had no idea you even knew about my secret. I don’t think you realize how much this means to me.” Luka admitted softly, wiping his eyes across his wrist.

“To be fair, I had overheard Rita getting you to spill the beans about you wanting a jukebox but I guess I never really heard the reason why.” Marinette smiled, breathing a sigh of relief. It was refreshing to see Luka cry, in a weird way. He was always so calm and collected. He openly spoke about mental health and emotions, but this was the first time she had ever seen him cry. Luckily, they were happy tears. “Would you like to tell me about it?”

“When I was growing up, we had a mini jukebox on the table in the dining hall of the ship. Mom used to make us have spontaneous dance parties.” Luka began with a smile, eyes still glistening as he walked reverently over to the dark polished wooden box. Marinette knew enough about his past to know that he had lived on a boat with his parents until they divorced, then his mother had fallen sick and moved them to this tiny town to be closer to the only family he had left outside of his father. His mother had passed before they were able to fully contact his father which left the family estranged but Luka had assured her that everything somehow worked out in the end. This was probably the biggest drive in his life to fuel his passion for healthy communication and therapeutic care. Every inch of her had fell in love with that side of him. “Juleka and I vowed we’d get one someday to give something mom to dance to when she visited here and there. I mean, she’s probably enjoying whatever afterlife party that’s going down, but I know she’s there sometimes. It’s the little moments.” Luka said gently as he placed a hand reverently on top of the dark stained wood. Marinette watched him with overwhelming emotion roaring through her. She felt happy to have been able to give him this gift. She had no idea how much it had truly meant to him until this moment…and she was all the happier knowing she gave him something priceless. Moments passed and it sounded like he started to speak but his words died on his lips.

“Should we plug it in and give it a whirl then?” Marinette pipped up when Luka didn’t continue talking. He looked over at her and smiled widely.

“Let’s do it.” He agreed.

Together they hefted the juke into its perfect spot and plugged it in. Marinette pulled a coin out of her purse while Luka glanced through the worn-out looking instruction manual, ‘just to be safe’ he had muttered with a chuckle. Marinette smiled to herself as she watched him. This was better than anything she could’ve hoped for. Unless…she blinked over at him realizing she had yet to actually confess her feelings to him. Her face flushed at the thought making her lightly slap her hands over her cheeks a few times. He turned to her with his palm extended to which she shyly placed her fingers into his hand.

“Uh, do you still have that…coin, per chance?” Luka asked quietly. Marinette saw his cheeks darken and she realized why he had held out his hand to her.

“Eeep! Yes, here it is, sorry.” Marinette squeaked placing the coin in his hand and shoving her hands awkwardly in her pockets while he chuckled quietly. After a moment a soft tune began to play. Luka turned back to her with a wide smile and reached out again, this time one hand nervously scratching the back of his neck.

“Can I have this dance, madam?” He asked her, watching her intently for a response. Marinette didn’t recognize the tune, but she realized it was a song with a slower beat and instantly blushed hard again. She timidly retracted her hands from her pockets and took his outstretched hand again. Unable to think of what to say she nodded and held her breath as he gently pulled her towards him and into his arms.

The pair began to sway along with the beat. Both quietly basking in the moment, unable to find the words to say but both grinning like the secret love sick fools that they were.

“You know,” Luka finally broke the silence, “I was hoping to somehow ask you to start making those amazing cinnamon rolls you shared with Juleka and I last Sunday in the café…but now I feel like I can’t ever ask you for anything. This was…is the biggest surprise I have ever gotten in my life.”

“Oh please, you know you can always ask me for help!” Marinette laughed, “I’ve been wanting to see your kitchen for a while and try to beg you to let me bake for the shop.”

“Well shoot, I’ve been missing out this whole time! I knew you didn’t want to go home from your internship because you didn’t want to spend the rest of your life as a baker so I didn’t want you to feel like you needed to be that here.” Luka smiled.

Marinette looked into his eyes and smiled back. He remembered the smallest details of her story; it was almost unbelievable. Unable to think straight, she moved her hands from his shoulders to slide them around his neck so they were closer as they danced. Something about the way he treated her just made me feel bolder.

“It was more like I didn’t want to go home and give up on whatever it was that I was hoping to do. I love baking and enjoy spending time in the kitchen, I just don’t want to make a career out of it, ya know? Plus, I know if I was home, I wouldn’t let my parents run the bakery while I slept in upstairs…I’m just a helper, I can’t sit still when I can be helping. Out here I have my own apartment and my own space and I could work on me a little bit more. Plus, if it’s you I’d grind my own flour to bake for your shop.”

“You have more kindness in a strand of your hair then most people possess in their entire lifetime.” Luka mused with a laugh as he tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. The gesture made her heart do a backflip as her breath hitched. She noticed his eyes dilate before he pulled back as if suddenly realizing he was very much in her personal space.

“Well, if you ever feel like getting in the baking mood, you’re welcome to bake and sell anything you would like in my shop. You can keep 100% percent of the profits and…” Luka started to explain as the jukebox song finished and cycled into the idle playlist of instrumental music.

“Oh no you don’t Luka Couffaine.” Marinette started to reprimand gently, “This is your business and your shop, I’ll be using your electricity, your space, and your sanity. I have a hunch you don’t run this business alone just because; I don’t want to ground up your vibes along with the coffee beans.”

Luka looked at her shocked at first but then burst out in laughter.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng you will be quite literally be the death of me I think.” He simply stated looking at her with a look she couldn’t quite describe. “Well, we can discuss a contract deal if you want, I was hoping this could be a mutual benefitting trial run to see if you’d like to stay with…excuse me, what I was trying to say was this could be a trial run to see if you’d enjoy it and if my customers will like everything- to which I have no doubt -but anyway…” He was starting to ramble in the quiet little way that he did. His passions and kindness melted her heart. The more she stayed in this tiny town, the more she wanted to settle in…especially if it was with him.

“Hey Luka?” She interrupted placing her fingertips gently on the side of his chin and turning his head to face her.

“Hmm?”

“I want you to know that I like you.” Marinette said. She couldn’t think of anything else to say, and clearly neither could Luka. His face broke out into another radiant smile before he could clear his throat.

“Marinette, I want you to know that I think ‘like’ isn’t strong enough for how I feel about you.” He said quietly as if he was picking his words, trying not to scare her off. Juleka had told her about the few women he had dated in the past that got scared off by his unwavering love and devotion to not only them but also to this little town. This town and his love weren’t enough for those women, but it was more than enough for her. Marinette wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her career or schooling or life as a whole…but she was starting to know that she wanted Luka in it, whatever it was. When she didn’t respond or react right away, he started to mumble like he did when he got nervous.

“But of course, you don’t need to worry about me if you don’t know what you want in life yet, I mean I know you only have your apartment for a year and you’ve talked about finishing your masters and you’ve got so much life and potential and goodness to offer the world! I don’t want to weigh you down; you deserve the world and more…I’ve only got a little coffee shop and an electric guitar but I…” Marinette smiled as she raised herself up on her tip toes and interrupted him with a soft kiss on the lips.

“Luka, I’m not sure where life is going to take me, but I hope you’d like to be by my side through it, at least for the next foreseeable future.” The raven-haired girl explained to the wonderstruck barista. “Maybe I’m a fool, but I won’t pretend I have don’t have feelings more than ‘like’ can describe too.”

Luka’s hands came up to cup her face lovingly as he leaned in to rest his forehead against hers.

“I would be thrilled to accompany you to the ends of the earth, Mari.” He nearly whispered as he tilted her chin upward. The kiss that followed made Marinette week in the knees. It was gentle, but deep and full of love. She had dated a few men before but this was one of the most beautiful beginnings to a relationship than she had ever experienced.

As the seconds ticked by, the kiss became deeper and hungrier. Luka’s hands moved to her waist as he pulled her body against his while her fingers threaded through the hair around the nape of his neck.

“Oy! Get a room you two!” Juleka bellowed happily, coming out of nowhere. The pair broke apart but Luka refused to break his hold of his arms around the woman he was pretty darn sure he loved. Marinette turned bright red but smiled and laughed good naturedly anyway.

“This is literally my own café you prude.” Luka joked as he spun Marinette in his arms so he could hug her from behind and bury some of his embarrassment in her hair as the girls continued to laugh.

“I was hoping Marinette would finally confess before I had to let the cat out of the bag in the form of hints.” Juleka teased but clearly seemed content with the state of things.

“You’ve been interested in confessing to me?” Luka asked quietly letting Marinette wiggle out of his grasp.

“That’s a story for another time.” Marinette laughed again as her phone began to ring loudly. She was only slightly put out that they had been interrupted, but knew this was only the beginning. “But for now, I’ve got a grandmother to chat with. Maybe we could make it a date? Want to pick me up sometime around 8 tonight?” She winked at Luka who blushed helplessly. The fact that he wore his heart on his sleeve just gave her all the confidence she lacked in her previous relationships. She could tell by the way he looked at her, that she meant so much more to him than just what she could offer him in the bedroom. He loved her as a person and she was looking forward to begin a relationship with one of her closest friends here in town. This was definitely be the beautiful start to a life-long love letter.


	6. Superheroes in the Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for my MIA adventures as of late; I started going back to school for biomedicine and I've been a busy bee. This chapter is not as fluffy as I originally intended, but I wanted to include all my supers so I didn't get the chance to expound on these relationships without making this chapter a novel. So! I'm hoping to bust through the prompt list by for sure the late summer! Sorry it's been so scare, but I have no brain...except for thinking about Lukanette randomness lol. Anyway! Hoping to get to the next prompt sooner rather than later but I do promise to finish this fic as fast as I can with making sure my quality stays up :) Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy this feel-good fic :)

Marinette clutched the miracle box to her chest in a tight hug. It had only been a few short years since Hawkmoth’s defeat and the subsequent peace that had settled on the city of Paris. She had watched every miraculous holder come and go over time and go on to bigger and brighter adventures than she could have even imagined for them all. The only identity that she had never learned was Chat’s. She had allowed him to keep his miraculous even after Hawkmoth’s defeat and the peacock and moth miraculous were returned; why? She could not quite place it, but something within her told her that for the balance of the two most powerful miraculous’ things needed to remain as they were for now. They kept old burner phones with private numbers to reach out, but it had been years since she had heard from Chat. That is, until today.

Chat was in town and hoping to see her. Marinette was also in town visiting her parents while she attended their 10-year class reunion party and after looking at the guest list, she realized that the whole gang would all be back in town too. Kagami was going to be in town with Adrien attending the reunion too, so if she could get her away from Adrien for a moment, she could reach out to her. Even Luka, her three-year Rockstar boyfriend was going to be performing a gig for the major’s hotel event putting him smack dab in the middle of Paris too. She ached to see everyone again not only at the party, but also in the suits to reconnect with everyone following the defeat of hawkmoth only a few years prior.

“I think you should go for it.” Tikki agreed as she bobbed and weaved in the air around her.

“I know there’s no more villains to worry about right now, but I’m still a little worried. Bunnix never talks about the future these days but I know she’s seen so many timelines I don’t want to mess with anything important. No one knows Ladybug and Chat Noir’s identities yet and I don’t want to make any mistakes in case something was to happen.” Marinette confided while absentmindedly chewing on her thumbnail.

“Then maybe slip everyone a note from ladybug at the class reunion!” Tikki suggested.

“That is an amazing idea Tikki! What would I do without you?” Marinette gushed as she ran over to her desk to start working on the personalized notes. A weekend evening atop the bell towers of Notre Dame, away from the nosy new anchors but close enough where everyone will be the day following the party. Marinette smiled as she started writing.

\-------------------------

The day of the class reunion had arrived, and Marinette had packed away every note carefully into her purse looking at every member of her old miraculous team. It was weird seeing them all again after all these years.

“Excuse me, gorgeous. Can I have your number?” A familiar voice crooned into her ear with a gentle chuckle. Marinette spun around to see her favorite set of ocean eyes staring back at her. It was not every day that she was able to interact with her super handsome and popular boyfriend.

“Luka!” She exclaimed as she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. Her insides already turned to jelly as she looked up at him, seeing that soft smile. “You already have my number, silly! And you should use it more often.” She teased him, poking him in the chest.

“Our tour is almost over! I’m so ready to be home with you.” He gushed snaking his arms around her and twirling her like a princess. When he set her back down on the floor, he wasted no time in gently capturing her lips in a chaste but fervent kiss.

“And I’m so ready to have my second favorite pillow back on my bed.” Marinette giggled making him chuckle along too. 

“Oy! You can have bedroom talk later you lovers.” Alya chided as she practically tackled Marinette out of Luka’s arms. The pair of best friends squealed in delight and started chattering away in quick catch-up mode even though they had only spoken a few days ago. Nino and Luka shrugged at each other with a knowing smile.

As the evening progressed and everyone trickled in, Marinette turned on her stealth mode and started placing the necessary mini envelopes in back pockets and open purses making sure she gave out every single card. With her mission completed she enjoyed the rest of the evening of games and conversation. Rose had really done an excellent job planning out this reunion party; comparatively this superhero one she had drafted up was not going to be nearly as good, but hopefully everyone would still enjoy seeing each other.

“Well would you look at that! It’s snowing in February!” Rose squealed in delight pointing out of the doors. Everyone turned to look outside, and Marinette practically froze on the spot. How did she not even check the weather for this weekend?? Hot chocolate was now a must and baked goods, she told herself. Who knew midwinter break could pose such a weather problem! She brought up her phone to recheck the forecast and realized there was a mini storm that had just begun. Hopefully, the fluke weather would not leave too many inches to plow through tomorrow.

“Got plans tomorrow?” Luka asked her, noticing her mini freak out.

“Oh, uh yeah! I was going to meet up with some friends tomorrow night…outside but I guess we’ll have to reevaluate! Haha…” Marinette had gotten better at white lies and mini fibs over the years to protect her identity, but this was one of the first times having to do so to her boyfriend and it was just…weird. “What about you?”

“Other than the early evening, I plan on coming home tomorrow and snuggling my super sexy girlfriend and eating take out.” He confessed snuggling up to her side and placing a kiss on her cheek.

“Well, I suppose that could be arranged.” Marinette giggled, leaning into him.

After a few more hours everyone started to disperse back to their hotels or parent’s homes. Other than a very drunk Kim, the evening had passed by uneventfully and happily. She was so proud of everyone for their various accomplishments, dreams, goals, and jobs they had secured and achieved. Marinette was happy to walk back home from the school to a warm bakery.

She checked her burner phone for RSVP notifications and found that every single person had planned on attending the mini reunion tomorrow evening and she smiled. Hopefully, her boyfriend wouldn’t look too hot so she wouldn’t ogle him while trying to reconnect with everyone on a superhero level. She smiled to herself as she pulled out a new burner phone and placed it under her pillow as a reminder to text Chat her new number as she would throw this one away after the evening was over, just to be extra safe. She transformed into Ladybug and visited every single one of her miraculous friends secretly with their miraculous boxes; Each visit, making no sound and leaving no traces. When she got home for the night, she shivered thinking about all the falling snow she had swung through as she face planted into her pillow and fell asleep at the drop of a hat.

\---------------------------------

The day had passed without incident, though the rising snow level made Marinette shudder as she finished running errands for her mother. Only an hour until their meet up and she was starting to get anxious about the whole thing. Was this a good idea? What if there was a villain just lying-in wait to seize an opportunity like this? What if…?

“Marinette your heart rate is going up again.” Tikki chirped. “This is the first time in years bringing everyone back together and I know how you’re feeling, but this will be good for everyone, I promise.”

“You’re right Tikki, everyone needed a break from the miraculous box anyway.” Marinette giggled thinking about the last time she had let the kawmis out to play upon Tikki’s request; the little deities deserved to get out and stretch every once in a while, and they loved working with their old miraculous holders…this really would be good for everyone.

“Marinette, isn’t it time to head to Notre Dame??” Tikki asked eagerly.   
“Not yet, Tikki we’ve still got an hour until everyone is….aAHHH SHiiii….you’re right!! I forgot I told Chat I’d meet him earlier!” Marinette ran inside the bakery to drop off her mother’s empty delivery bags and waved a quick goodbye as she ran outside and around the corner. Looking around anxiously for just a moment, the baker’s daughter ducked behind the alleyway and transformed for the first time in a long time. They used to do patrols right after Hawkmoth’s defeat, but those fizzled out as Chat started having a great deal of excuses and commitments in his real life. Ladybug had ached at the demise of the partnership, but knew that one day if the world needed them, somehow, they would make it through.

The yo-yo zipped and swung her around with grace and ease, every movement becoming more familiar and confident as she went. Her toes touched down on the rooftop of the famous bell tower building and a smile burst across her face when she spotted a familiar black tail whipping behind the aging bricks.

“Good evening, Mi’lady.” He spoke in a hushed whisper as she threw her arms around his middle. Chat’s arms came gently around her in a reverent hug, willing Ladybug to never let go. After a moment, the pair parted and looked at each other. Chat had certainly grown more handsome over the years, if she wasn’t dating the most beautiful Rockstar on the planet, seeing Chat after all these years may have just been the temptation she didn’t know lingered in the shadows of her heart. She smiled warmly at him as he stared blankly back at her; unable to read his expression.

“How are you?” She implored. “I haven’t heard much from you since Hawkmoth…”

“I’m good, Ladybug. Truly. Hawkmoth is still a difficult topic for me unless you’re finally ready to talk about identities.” Chat answered quietly, watching her. That’s what it was, anxiety. Chat was anxious about this meeting. There were clearly things on his heart that were weighing him down. It wasn’t fair to him to hide their identities forever if it was going to keep causing him this much grief that pulled them apart in the first place.

She placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “Chat, you deserve this closure I see you looking for. I trust you. There hasn’t been a villain in years, and if we play our cards right, even if a new one came up, I believe we could protect each other and ourselves. We’re adults now, right?” That was the only nightmare she ever had even after Hawkmoth’s defeat…that somehow in a moment of weakness she would accidentally reveal her partner’s identity. Her fears were not justified to keep him in whatever mental or emotional pain he was facing.

“Hawkmoth was my father.” Chat crumbled in front of her like the weight he had been shouldering alone was suddenly broken. His face broke out into a small smile as he continued. “It was one of the most difficult times of my life. I made it through, but it was hard without you.”

Ladybug’s jaw fell to the floor.

“Well, it was at first. And I don’t blame you. We were young and I was emotionally compromised and you were the guardian. I understand why you made the decisions you did. And even though I was mad at first, I knew you still cared about me and looked out for me in your own way, at least I always believed you did. And you know what? The healing came. It came through midnight coffee runs with my best friend and his girlfriend and my best friend Marinette. It came with reconnecting with family on my mother’s side and finding my place in the world without my dad there. It came through dating one of my other best friends, Kagami and finding out how much love you can find in the universe even without a ‘soulmate’ like I thought I had in you. And the healing came from the little notes and messages you would leave me, well Adrien-me, secretly. I’ve always admired you and I will always love you in a way. I’m taken now, and I hope you are too because my goodness who could pass up a catch like you? Sorry, I know I’m rambling again…”

Tears of joy and shock spilled over the crevice of her eye as a light giggle started to bubbled out of her chest. All this time, how had she never once allowed herself to believe that Adrien and Chat Noir just happened to be one and the same?

“Adrien, you goob. We are a hopeless pair of oblivious friends.” Ladybug giggled as she pulled him into another hug, cutting him off from his rambling. “I’m sorry I made you carry this weight for so long. I’m glad you found the healing you were looking for and I’m glad I was able to help you make that final step of closure. I may not be a therapist, but my boyfriend is pretty slick at helping me understand the science of healing hearts and creating peace and happiness. It sounds like we’re both pretty blessed, aren’t we sunshine?”

“Sunshine…the only people who call me that are…Alya and…Ma…Marinette?” Chat’s eyes widened as she started to giggle again.

“The one and the same.” Marinette admitted to one of her best friends. The partners burst out into laughter together realizing the sheer ridiculousness of their earlier plights in love and friendships.

“What level of dumb do we have to be to end up in this kind of bizarre predicament.” Adrien stated as he back-flopped onto the snow-covered roof.

“How bizarre…” Marinette agreed with a laugh sitting on the roof herself gazing off into the slowly setting sun. “Well, even with the weirdest backstory to our love lives and friendships, I feel like it’s worked out in the end…I mean you’re dating one of the most talented and beautiful ladies in the history of ever and I’m set with a pretty good-looking dude.”

“Buginette, your boyfriend is a handsome devil you can just outright say it.” Chat shrugged making Ladybug laugh out loud again.

“I mean you’re not wrong, but that ass is mine so no touchy.” Ladybug warned jokingly.

“No promises.” Chat teased making Ladybug dish up some of the fallen snow into a tight snow ball. She hurled it at his face but his stupid cat like reflexes allowed him to dodge easily and grin at her smugly.

“Paws to yourself kitty. Or keep them on a different pair of scales.” She laughed as she already starting to make another perfect snowball.

“Ooh, you invited my girlfriend? How kind of you!” Chat cheered excitedly, no hint of joking whatsoever. Ladybug took the opportunity of distraction to nail him perfectly in the face. “Hey! No, fair Mi’lady! Distraction method is such a low blow for you.”

“I didn’t say I was lying!” Ladybug said as she dodged the wintery projectile that suddenly came her way.

Another snowball whizzed by her face and smacked Chat right between the eyes.

“Bullseye!” Carapace shrieked triumphantly as Rena Rouge threw a snowball directly at Ladybug. The bug bobbed away just in time from that snowball but still ended up with a back full of snow as three separately balls made contact.

“You should’ve told me we were coming to compete! I would’ve been here faster!” King Monkey exclaimed excitedly with Pegasus adjusting his glasses beside him.

“Why, so you could lose?” Bunnix cried out from a portal, nailing King Monkey right in the face with a ball full of snow.

“Hey! No fair!” The monkey shouted as he ran off to face the now physically present Bunnix on the roof.

“Bow before me, peasants.” Queen Bee shrieked as she chucked a snowball directly at Ryuko when she had entered the fray.

Ladybug giggled to herself as she watched every single one of her friends engage in a superhero snowy battle upon the roof of the Notre Dame. It was strange to think that her little band of friends would be her closest allies in both sides of her life. She smiled at Rose, Myléne, Juleka and Nathaniel in their superhero forms, remembering all the help they gave her after the battle of the miraculous had left her wary to use the friends who had been sold out by Chloe. But after Hawkmoth’s downfall, Chloe herself had even come a long way…there was no way she could leave her out of the mix. A face full of snow woke Ladybug out of her thoughtful stupor and she locked eyes on the offender…physically melting as she realized just how hot Luka looked in that skin tight suit and shaggy hair.

“Hey bug, save the bedroom eyes for later tonight.” Luka teased her in a hushed whisper.

Her eyes got wide as he moved past her to continue to join the snowball fight. Her heart was full. Not only was she able to lift Chat’s burden, she suddenly realized that she had nothing to fear to chat with her boyfriend about anymore. Maybe the time for secrets was over. Maybe, there was more to life than worrying about the what-ifs and hows…maybe, just maybe you could have a fight to the death snow battle on the rooftops of Paris surrounded by the people you care about the most and worry about absolutely nothing else but the present.

With a sudden burst of energy, Marinette leapt into the fray as well. Laughter and good-natured threats danced through the air almost as much as the snowballs. As the sun slowly started to steal away the daylight and the ragtag bunch of superheroes gathered together for what was certainly not the last get together that Ladybug was going to throw. Hopefully next time, it would be just as heartwarming but less chilly.


End file.
